1:6 Vader Project & Digital Scan project

So, no one can help me with this?

Well, looking around on the net I think I may have found someone, but I haven't heard back from him yet. Will post further info here, since 122 views would indicate interest in this search. Or is it just interest in the Kaiyodo Vader and people thinking that I had posted pictures of a painted one?

Cheers

There are a lot of us who would love to have a small scale figure which looks just like the marmit prototypes. I had actually thought about using one of the screamin kits myself having seen the sideshow figure.
I'm interested in seeing what you can come up with and will help in any way I can to make it a reality.

I'll post here as soon as I come up with something. Am still waiting for that guy to contact me with pictures of his work.

Just a shame I can't sculpt myself and don't have the money to hire a top quality sculptor or have the helmet laser scanned, etc!

But rest assured... I WILL figure something out... eventually. :P

In the meantime... this is what the Kaiyodo head looks like: (!!!SHUDDERS!!&#33




Though, one thing I'm very proud of is the paint-job. I did that myself and it came out great. Really nothing much to it. Airbrushed the face with burnt aluminium color first and then painted matt black by hand afterwards + the little details such as the nose and tusks with chrome silver and the vents with gold and gloss red - the dome was airbrushed in matt black - before I then airbrushed on a clear coat.

The surface is smooth and glossy and wipes off easily... and has a nice mirror effect. Oh yeah... my trick with the eyes to make them seem more like lenses was to first paint them in matt black and then transparent glossy red. It gives a real life and menace to the mask. Sorry that effect doesn't translate so well into the pictures. But maybe a better camera and better lighting conditions would be able to show that off better. Will see what I can do, when I get the replacement heads I'm searching for and have them all painted up and finished.

Received word from the guy doing the custom Vader's over at the Rebelscum forums. I assume many have heard of him already and have admired his work, I know I have.

Apparently, he tried to send pictures about a week ago, but unfortunately didn't receive them then, for some odd reason. Maybe my e-mail server is acting up again: I know it likes to add filters to my incoming mail, even when I haven't told it to.

But to get on with it: he is known as Hurricane Models and can be contacted from the Rebelscum site or possibly pm me for his e-mail address and I can forward it to you. I let him know that there might be interested users here looking for replacement parts for their Vader figures and he was okay with me passing on his info to those interested.

He uses the original Kaiyodo/Screamin' face for his customs, but have made new and more accurate looking domes and I have asked for some close-up pictures of just the helmet - face and dome - and hope to receive them shortly (he's busy, so it could take a while, though).

This is all I have to share for now.

Cheers.

You know, the face on the last pic looks really good. I think with a decent dome on it you've got a great start to what could be a nice display piece. Well done!

Yeah, the face is sorta okay... just a few nit-picking details I don't like about it. TBH: it is pretty close to the look of the Marmit sculpt, imo. The dome however is a completely other matter. It S-U-X!

However, as stated before, I don't know how to sculpt, so I have to rely on others to do the work, meaning... where to find a better dome for this piece that fits and doesn't look off!?

Man, how I hate that I cannot sculpt... that would make my life so much easier... :P

(Sorry, had to edit... posted information about Hurricane's custom's, which I hadn't asked permission to post. I'll ask him if I can post it and if he agrees, then I can provide the info. Until then, please hold on to your pants and ignore that gun in your back... it's all an illusion&#33

I just displayed mine with the hat off...

Originally posted by PHArchivist@Apr 14 2006, 03:36 AM
I just displayed mine with the hat off...

[snapback]1226047[/snapback]

The problem with that is that I just don't like the reveal look at all... otherwise great idea.

These are just some of the areas that needs fixing up on the Kaiyodo facemask if that was to be considered for more accurate and to look more like the actual ANH & ESB hero props - indicated by the white lines:




And as you can see it is quite extensive and it is just a matter of how best to accomplish those changes without ruining anything.

The left side of the mouth should be pulled in more, the top of the cheeks should be sanded to the correct look, the reveal detail should be sanded off and several other small details.

I guess I will have to buy another Kaiyodo kit to make all those customizations too, since it would most likely require that I mold it with the customizations that can be accomplished on the vinyl head and then make a cast and make the changes that can more easily be made on a resin cast. Then it will be molded again once all the changes are made and viola: a perfect 1:6 scale facemask.

That way I will have an original and a customized version. And, I can make both ANH and ESB versions. Though, since this is basically recasting I won't offer them for sale. These will strictly be limited to my own models. Sorry about that.

And I know... you'll think I'm silly putting so much work into such a tiny piece and that I would be better off sculpting it from scratch. To that I can only say that I am far better at customizing than sculpting, so, to me that is a no-brainer.

The perfect solution would be that some LFL licenced company began to sell accurate looking 1:6 scale helmets, but that is NOT going to happen, so why bother waiting for it... and I need something to do in my spare time... and it will be fun and great practice for possible future projects.

(Just at the idea stage at this time&#33

Who am I kidding... though it could work, I guess it would cost as much as having a sculptor do a sculpt... never really considered the economical issue with my plan. Damn.

Nobody who knows anybody who could be interested in tackling this project of sculpting an über-accurate Vader face and dome in 1:6 scale or is it too ambitious and is there not really that much interest in such a project to really bother?

Can we expect a licenced version of the props and not the reveal versions as seen in the movies in this small scale in the near future? I seriously doubt it... but seriously... curse my lack of sculpting talents.

interesting..

Will strip the paint off the face this weekend and then possibly begin work on the mouth area - the only area that can be fixed while it's vinyl. All the rest needs to be fixed when I have made a resin cast... (hehe... "when"...). Hopefully this project will not take longer than a few months... :P

Still hoping some sculptor turns up to ease my work, but empty my wallet... hmm...

And still looking after a replacement dome or any info on how to make it myself...

1:6 you say? Haven't there been various vader helmets in that scale over the years, keychain toys, Bust Ups, and those Japanese Tomy mini-helmet trading models...? Are any of those adaptable?

Oh... forgot to say that I'm currently sculpting my own helmet. And no... nothing produced has come even remotely close to being accurate. The best I have seen is the Kaiyodo sculpt (Marmit doesn't count as that is not available) and that is what is shown here. Gentle Giants efforts, being claimed to be laser scanned, is a complete joke.

I have seen very good sculpts in other scales made by members here, but so far nothing in sixth scale.

Oh well you answered my question.

phase pistol said:

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Oh well you answered my question.

Yes, having worked on this project for the better part of 2 years... it's honestly sad to know how many Vader merchandise that has been made and not one single accurate one. Very frustrating.

I kind of thought the Kotobukiya vinyl statues were pretty good but those are a little smaller than 1:6 I think.

It really is unfortunate. Does anybody on the board have access to stereolithography rapid-prototyping 3D printing equipment? You could print out a tiny Vader helmet.

Getting proper scale on Vader figures has eluded all the companies too.. Vader is a big dude, but the sixth scale figs I've seen just use a regular body on him, and he ends up looking six feet tall. Vader's a shortie.

Well... the helmet is pretty much being worked on... now I need help on the chest and belt boxes...

Spent lots of time scouring through model train accessories, thinking that would be the best place to search for square transparent plastic pieces that could be used for the belt box lights, as well as bulbs for the red lights... and the squares on the chest boxes... but it is nearly impossible to find anything as there are rarely any pictures and the descriptions are poor... so unless one really knows what he's looking for... it's a wild goose chase. Damn it's just so frustrating...

I once had the notion to do a decent 1/6th scale ANH vader figure. I finally decided to basically create the chestbox and belt out of plastic, create rods using tiny plastic coated wire......cut out the parts of the plastic you don't need to create the raised sections of the rods. (worked like a charm) and then sculpt and mould the other detail parts. Create a working proto out of the solid plastic etc.... Then mould the chestbox and belt boxes. Pour them in solid clear resin. Use mask all the unlighted parts with first silver paint and then flat black paint. Use tamiya transparent colors for the lenses of the various lighted parts. Then all you have to do is stick one led on the back of the boxes and voila!!! instant mini lighted accessories.

Hope that helps. You won't believe the quality of the rods you'll achieve if you use my wire idea. I've got a pic of the chestbox rods somewhere. If I find it, I'll post the results.

Dave

vaderdarth said:

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I once had the notion to do a decent 1/6th scale ANH vader figure. I finally decided to basically create the chestbox and belt out of plastic, create rods using tiny plastic coated wire......cut out the parts of the plastic you don't need to create the raised sections of the rods. (worked like a charm) and then sculpt and mould the other detail parts. Create a working proto out of the solid plastic etc.... Then mould the chestbox and belt boxes. Pour them in solid clear resin. Use mask all the unlighted parts with first silver paint and then flat black paint. Use tamiya transparent colors for the lenses of the various lighted parts. Then all you have to do is stick one led on the back of the boxes and voila!!! instant mini lighted accessories.
Hope that helps. You won't believe the quality of the rods you'll achieve if you use my wire idea. I've got a pic of the chestbox rods somewhere. If I find it, I'll post the results.
Dave

Heh... sounds really cool... and looking forward to seeing it if you find the picture. Problem is I have no molding and casting skills what-so-ever and no space to do such things.

Hobbytown carries an intro moulding casting kit that takes up very little space. The product even directs you to a website that shows you how to do each process step by step.

Dave